June 5: Changing PMs at 103 BPMs

An episode of The Europeans

Fed up with all the Trumpy news from the USA or the Brexit-y news from Britain? Well you've come to the right place. Each week we trawl the continent of Europe for the most interesting stories to cover and the most fascinating people to interview. This semi-serious, semi-silly, Brexit-free show, from a reporter in Paris and an opera singer in Amsterdam, will make you seem clever to friends and make you feel like you've got two NEW friends in Katy and Dominic. You probably didn't realise you needed a European podcast in your life, but this will fill the gap that you didn't even know was there.

After the week it's been, we could all do with a break from the present. This week, we're venturing into Europe past -- about six thousand years ago, to a time when mysterious stone structures were springing up all around the continent. Today we call them megaliths, and there's a lot we still don't know about them. But one woman has been on a quest to work out how these extraordinary monuments spread around Europe. Archaeologist Bettina Schulz Paulsson is on the line from Gothenburg to talk about how early Europeans were exchanging knowledge and culture a good few millennia before the EU was invented. Also: a reverse art heist, a blow for the anti-vaxxers , and how to say no to big business.
Thanks so much to the new supporters who joined our Patreon this week! You can help us carry on making the show by chipping at https://www.patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
Thanks for listening.
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This week The Europeans are heading underground to the nearest bunker. Julie McDowall, Cold War writer and expert on all things atomic, is on the line from Glasgow to talk about how different countries in Europe planned for nuclear war and what it’s like to visit Chernobyl, three decades after the disaster. We also talk about the woman shaking up Estonian politics, questionable ethics in Italian opera, and Slovenian sandwiches.
You can check out Julie’s excellent podcast The Atomic Hobo here and follow her on Twitter here.
Thanks so much to the new supporters who joined our Patreon this week! You can help us carry on making the show by chipping at https://www.patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
Thanks for listening.
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This week we're talking about transgender rights in Europe with the author and activist CN Lester, whose wonderful book Trans Like Me gets its mainstream paperback release on Thursday. And on a continent where young people mostly stayed at home for the last elections, Mick ter Reehorst calls in to explain why he's launched a new campaign, #ProveThemWrong, to get out the youth vote in May. Plus: winter bacon, sticking it to the homophobes, and a mile-high culture clash between France and the Netherlands.
Check out CN's work at cnlester.com!
Get the youth vote out at provethemwrong.eu!
And watch this great video about women getting the vote in Switzerland!
Thanks so much to everyone who's started chipping in to our Patreon fund. Help us keep the show going at patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
Thanks for listening.
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This week, the kid from Hamburg who grew up to become one of the most powerful forces in global fashion. Karl Lagerfeld built not one but three hugely successful brands. After his death last week at the age of 85, we're exploring the flaws, quirks and legacy of this complicated man with the help of Fiachra Gibbons, culture editor at Agence France-Presse and long-time observer of 'the Kaiser'. We also discuss Europe's rising problem with anti-Semitism, some good news for Serbia's gay first couple, and how to make it big in Finland.
Thanks to everyone who's started chipping in to our Patreon fund! Help us keep the show going at patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
Thanks for listening.
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This week we're stretching the definition of Europe to the limit and travelling all the way down to the French-Italian research base in the Antarctic! By some miracle we managed to Skype the physicist Meganne Christian at the Concordia base about what it's like spending an entire year living in the most isolated place on Earth (albeit with decent Italian cooking). At the other end of the planet: bears, Viktor Orbán's bid to turn Hungarian women into baby-machines, and pop that pisses off the populists.
Thanks to everyone who's started chipping in to our Patreon fund! Help us keep the show going at patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
Thanks for listening.
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This week, the city where you can taste the air on your tongue. We're going to Skopje with the Macedonian writer Aleksandar Dimishkovski to find out what it's like living in the most polluted city in Europe. On the brighter side, we also have some Swedish bling, a badass Romanian anti-corruption crusader, and some long-forgotten treasures.
Interested in finding out why John Ruskin is so relevant? Click here.
Thanks so much to everyone who's signed up to support us on Patreon! If you like the show and have a tiny bit of cash to spare, you can join our kind donors at patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
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This week's guest is ten years old and one of the fiercest, smartest people we've ever had on this podcast. Lilly Platt calls in from Zeist in the Netherlands to tell us why she's helping to lead the tens of thousands of children across Europe striking to demand action on climate change. And from skipping school to skipping the queue, anti-money laundering expert Laure Brillaud is here from Brussels to cast a light on the murky world of 'golden visas' for sale in Europe. Plus: positive pop, bad meat, and one very happy cellist.
You can follow Lilly's school strike and Plastic Pick-Up campaign on Facebook and Twitter.
Read Laure's report on golden visas for Transparency International here.
Thanks so much to everyone who's signed up to support us on Patreon! If you like the show and have a tiny bit of cash to spare, you can join our kind donors at patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
Need a moment of calm? Check out this track by sexy 500-year-old composer Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina here.
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This week, two Kraemers for the price of one! Dominic's brother, BBC political nerd Daniel Kraemer, is here to explain why Britain has the weirdest parliament in Europe. Don't worry, we kept the B-word chat to a minimum. Plus: Macron and Merkel's Duolingo pact, Ronaldo's millions, and the kindest grandma on the continent.
Thanks so much to everyone who's signed up to support us on Patreon! If you like the show and have a tiny bit of cash to spare, you can join our kind donors at patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
Follow Daniel on Twitter @dcakraemer (if you have to follow one account tweeting B****t, this should be it).
Something we should be covering in your corner of Europe? We want to hear from you!
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It's good to be back! We've got big plans for 2019. Starting with the fact that we're now on Patreon! If you have a few euros to spare and want to help us grow, hit us up at patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
This week, smart Finns and a very smart bear. Computer scientist Teemu Roos is on the line from Helsinki to explain why Finland is trying to educate its population en masse about artificial intelligence. And our Woman in Warsaw Ania Jakubek is back with the tale of a Polish wartime hero who just happened to be... a bear. Plus: Greek drama, Satanic tourism, and how to make the internet a nicer place.
SUPPORT US ON PATREON here. We're grateful for any donations, big or small. Short on cash? Support the pod by spreading the word :)
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READ ANIA'S ARTICLE about Wojtek the bear at https://yhoo.it/2FEdA9F
And follow her on Instagram! instagram.com/amjakubek
Finally, you can check out the great Swedish anti-troll Facebook group #jagärhär here.
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Music: 'Moon Noose' by Druslan
From the Free Music Archive
CC NC ND https://bit.ly/2CrYorW

This week, the need for more buzz around Europe: the bee kind, and the excitement kind. Our very special guest to round off the year (and keep Katy company while Dominic was rolling around on the floor) is the Dutch writer Joris Luyendijk, who despite having been named Bad News reporter for De Correspondent has more hope than you might think for this continent as we roll into 2019. Trigger warning: there's a mention or two of the b-word as we talk about why Europe ain't so boring and the mysteries of the British psyche. Plus: Powerfrauen; an all-too-human robot, and the fight to save our pollinators.
Thank you so much for listening in 2018! We'll be back in January. In the meantime, we'd love it if you left us a review as a Christmas present (preferably a nice one): apple.co/2Ez2KN8
Bonne année, Frohes neues Jahr, and Feliz Año Nuevo!
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This week on The Europeans, two passionate defences of liberty, the political and the sexual. Renowned Hungarian rights defender Márta Pardavi is on the line from Budapest to talk about what it's like fighting with the increasingly authoritarian government of Viktor Orbán. And Paulita Pappel calls in from Berlin to chat about her work as a feminist pornographer. Plus: France's road rage, Luxembourg's road delight, and the greatest ever reason to uncork a bottle of wine.
Follow Márta and Paulita on Twitter: @martapardavi / @paulitapappel
Also, listen to Paulita's brilliant podcast if you know what's good for you: https://ersties-podcast.com
Thanks for listening. 🇪🇺 ❤
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A special show marking A WHOLE YEAR OF THE PODCAST! Extra brilliant guests are here to help us mark this very narcissistic edition of anniversary annexe/commemoration corner. Flavia Kleiner, whose Operation Libero has been waging a quietly successful war against rightwing populism in Switzerland, calls in from Zurich with some lessons for the rest of Europe. And Andrea Chalupa is here to discuss her new film Gareth Jones, about a courageous Welsh journalist's battle to tell the truth about the famine her grandfather survived in Ukraine 85 years ago. Plus: vote-buying, espionage, and a few splashes of prosecco.
Follow Flavia and Operation Libero here: https://twitter.com/operationlibero
And Andrea here: https://twitter.com/AndreaChalupa
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This week, the story of one of Europe's strangest art heists keeps getting stranger; the fate of Poland's judges keeps getting more complicated; and a teacher in one of France's poorest towns refuses to give up on her kids. Juliette Perchais is on the line to talk about what it's like teaching in one of her country's toughest schools and how she traveled the world to bring back the best educational ideas out there.
Check out her website www.storiesofinspiringteachers.com — it does what it says on the tin.
You can also find some reporting Katy did from Grigny here: https://yhoo.it/2PWgdZV
And last but not least, your podcast recommendations for the week:
Stammtisch https://bit.ly/2An9lKw
Radiolab: Tweak The Vote https://bit.ly/2OFzpWc
Thanks for listening. 🇪🇺 ❤
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This week of all weeks, your favourite Parisian reporter and Amsterdam crooner are here to bring you Everything Europe That Isn't Brexit. We’ve got two brilliant guests who couldn’t be more different from each other: YouTube tech guru Marton Barcza, aka TechAltar, is here to talk about why Europe hasn’t produced an internet giant to rival Google or Facebook. And Paris-based comedian Sarah Donnelly walks us through an ethical minefield: to open for Louis CK, or not to open for Louis CK?
Also: a runaway prime minister, political underwear, and the smell of defeat.
Subscribe to TechAltar on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2Bgsy2a
And follow Sarah's show Becoming Maman: https://www.instagram.com/becomingmaman/
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A hundred years on from the end of World War I, we wanted to look at an aspect of the conflict we don't often talk about: the role of millions of troops of colour who fought for European powers. The excellent Christian Koller, professor of modern history at Zurich University, is here to help us explore what life was like for African and Asian soldiers who were often dismissed as 'savages' while risking their lives for European governments.
Also: France faces its past, European conservatives face their future, and Dominic faces a lifetime of incessant church bells.
Our episode name comes from the poem by George A. Borden: 'Black blood was spilled black bodies maimed / For medals brave no black was named.'
You can read Christian's fascinating research here: https://bit.ly/2JYrDGu
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This week, the story of a painting that's been attacked with knives, chopped up, hidden in a cave from Nazis, and has probably had beer spilled on it. It also happens to be one of the world's greatest masterpieces. Our very special guest is Taco Dibbits, director of the Rijksmuseum, here to explain why the Netherlands' national museum is going to be restoring The Night Watch while the whole world watches. And from Rembrandt to race, the playright Marjorie H. Morgan is on the line from Liverpool to talk about the difference between being black in Europe and black in America.
The Europeans is supported by Are We Europe, the continent's most beautiful magazine. Type 'europeanspod' for a 15% discount on your copy at www.areweeurope.com.
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This week: freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom of speech, and freedom to attempt a robbery in Belgium even when you're not quite sure how robberies work. Dominic's been at the European Parliament's liaison office in Berlin chatting to Frank Piplat and Christopher Lade about what makes these elections different, and Sally Eshun is here from Are We Europe to talk about hate speech on both sides of the Atlantic. Also: naughty Italians, balloon sticks, and the beauty of toilets.
Are you, like Katy, lacking inspiration when it comes to the European elections? Check out http://thistimeimvoting.eu for a few ideas.
Read Sally's article at www.areweeurope.com — and if you believe in the power of print, type 'europeanspod' for a 15% discount on your copy of the continent's most beautiful magazine.
The Europeans is supported by Future Europe, a podcast from the European Investment Bank. Check it out here: eib.org/future-Europe
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This week on the Europeans: bacteria, cathedral thinking, and a Spanish drug lord who got too cocky. We're guest-less this week due to illness so this is a mini-show, but we wanted to drop by and say a quick gutentag.
We'll be back with a fully-sized episode next week. Thanks so much for listening.
The Europeans is supported by Future Europe, a podcast from the European Investment Bank. Check it out here: eib.org/future-Europe
And we're supported by Are We Europe! Type 'europeanspod' for a 15% discount on your copy of the continent's most beautiful magazine at www.areweeurope.com
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Whether you're a European passport-holder or not, so much in life is determined by the paper we carry in our pockets. Our guest this week is the Yemeni photographer Thana Faroq, whose brilliant project The Passport explores what it's like to hold a so-called 'unlucky' passport. Her work is on show in New York right now, but she's not allowed to travel from her home in the Netherlands to see it with her own eyes.
Also this week, Bram Hilkens is here to delve into the continent's hip-hop scene, Katy and Dominic have been gallivanting in Berlin (stand by on instagram.com/europeanspodcast for romantic photos), and Greece has been lightening the load for its donkeys.
The Europeans is supported by Future Europe, a podcast from the European Investment Bank. Check it out here: eib.org/future-Europe
And we're supported by Are We Europe! Type 'europeanspod' for a 15% discount on your copy of the continent's most beautiful magazine at www.areweeurope.com
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What's in a name? A lot, if you're Macedonia. Emil Atanasovski is here to talk us through one of the most confusing questions in the Balkans, thank god. Transatlantic movie man Kevin Sachs is on the line to explain why Netflix is about to get a lot more European, with his tips for stylish German television thrown in for free. Plus bears, trains, and ancient weapons, we've got it all this week.
The Europeans is supported by Future Europe, a podcast from the European Investment Bank. Check it out here: eib.org/future-Europe
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This week a tiny horse made a grand entrance to Europe, and one of France's finest singers took his final bow. RIP Charles Aznavour, trailblazer and source of the most embarassing story of Dominic's life (listen til the end). Our guest this week is Monique Van den Abbeel, a Belgian campaigner for the visually impaired who is soon to be welcoming Europe's first guide horse into her home in Bruges. Yes, this is a thing, and we are very excited about it.
In Week 2 of our partnership with Are We Europe we also talk to co-editor Alexander Hurst about being an American on the continent. Check out the magazine's latest issue here: https://areweeurope.com
Also: a space race, a non-existent wall, and a message from the past.
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This week on the Europeans: bad Italian wifi, a bad Danish bank, and badly behaved Spanish politicians. And spiders, lots of spiders. The Financial Times' Madrid correspondent Michael Stothard is on the line (kind of) to explain Spain's growing plagiarism scandal. And as part of our new partnership with the uber-cool magazine Are We Europe, we chat with its editor Kyrill Hartog about their latest issue The Ocean Between Us, all about Europe's complicated relationship with America.
Check it out here — and if you too believe that print is not dead, buy a copy! www.areweeurope.com
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There's a big difference between a shelter and a home. After Sweden's elections cast a spotlight on the integration of immigrants, this week we're asking how housing and urban design can affect your ability as a newcomer to settle in a new place. Alice Pittini, research coordinator at Housing Europe, talks us through some of the best examples of housing designed to help refugees and asylum seekers get stuck in and start building new lives. We also chat about Viktor Orbán and the battle for Europe's soul, green jargon, and French superheroes. Plus, a listener sheds some light on Dominic's salty German food mystery.
Read Housing Europe's latest research on migration & housing here: https://bit.ly/2N6p89H
And check out this neat project they're involved with, Designing Inclusion: https://www.desinc.org
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Dominic's singing in Berlin, Katy's painting in Paris, and a forest is quietly growing just outside Oslo. Our guest this week is Anne Beate Hovind, project manager of a strange and wonderful project in Norway involving books, trees and the passage of time. Also on the menu, Florence is taking things OFF the street food menu and Poland is harnessing the power of the howling wind. Plus, a glimmer of hope after some dark days in Chemnitz.
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This week on The Europeans: national branding done right (Sweden) and wrong (Theresa May's robot dancing). Or will the British PM have the last laugh on that one? The jury's still out. Swedish journalist Charlotte Boström is on the line to explain how her country successfully marketed itself as an eco-friendly feminist paradise. And as Dominic packs his bags for two months in Berlin, he and Katy talk clocks, democracy, fine food and Lego.
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Charlotte's article in The Groene (in Dutch): https://www.groene.nl/artikel/de-kunst-om-een-land-te-verkopen

This week we're talking about a couple of journeys. Greece has gone from the depths of despair to something a little less like despair; Nick Malkoutzis of Macropolis (@NickMalkoutzis) is on the line from Athens to explain. And Frenchman Fabrice Pothier is here to tell us about his fun (?) 700-kilometre cycle from Foie Gras country to Santander, hoping to learn a thing or two about Europe. Also: an artistic mishap, virulent success, and a discordant initative by Berlin transport authorities.
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This week, sex and the internet. For once it's not us making the filthy innuendos, although Dominic does his best. It's Lithuania's capital Vilnius! We ask tour guide Agneta Ladek (https://bit.ly/2BBRNyi) if her city is really 'the G-spot of Europe — nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it's amazing'. Dimi Dimitrov is on the line to explain why changes to the way we regulate the internet in Europe would have made life harder for Wikipedia and more boring for everyone else. And one woman is on a quest to bring some ancient Norman sass to modern-day Guernsey.
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This week, something a little different: Deborah Cole, a Berlin-based reporter since 1995, reads us her beautiful piece about the race to collect the memories of elderly Germans who lived through some of the most tumultuous events in modern history. Follow Deborah on Twitter @doberah, she's our favourite person tweeting from Merkel Land.
Also: an airborne mishap, an ingenious Spaniard, and irony, Slovenian-style, explained with the help of the brilliant Aljaž Pengov Bitenc (aka @pengovsky).
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As you'll see in this week's episode, we're warming to two themes this season: urine, and the far-right.
Timo Lochocki (@TLochocki), an expert on populism in Europe, is on the line from Berlin to talk about why we SHOULDN'T talk about Steve Bannon's new venture on this side of the Atlantic. On a brighter note, Adrian Murphy's here to talk about Europeana, a lovely EU culture project that is currently collecting personal stories about migrating around the continent. Check it out at https://www.europeana.eu.
Also: good times for cash-strapped Berlin parents, bad times for Shakespearean amateur voiceover artists, and a disaster averted in Katy's hometown.
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We're back! What's cooking, Europe? Apparently the whole continent. Greece has just suffered Europe's deadliest forest fires in a century, part of a spate of extreme weather all over the northern hemisphere. Just back from Athens, we ask incoming AFP science correspondent Patrick Galey (and his dog) whether this is the new normal. Follow @patrickgaley for the angriest climate tweets in town.
Things have been heating up in Germany too, in the form of a huge debate over identity politics. Dicle Akar, a teacher at the Berlin International School, gives us her thoughts on Turkish identity in Germany and the row over football star Mesut Özil.
Plus: how the summer's been going for Europe's biggest political egos, and the bright side of the forthcoming apocalypse.
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Smiling may not come easily to Russians, as you'll hear about on this episode. But here at The Europeans we've got plenty to smile about this week:
1) Katy's at a pig farm
2) Dominic's latest opera is going great
3) We have fantastic guest Aljaž Pengov Bitenc on the line to talk about what we can learn from Slovenia's recent election. Follow him at twitter.com/pengovsky and hear us on his podcast Evropska četrt: https://bit.ly/2sUjkDk
4)Spain's Mr Handsome is off to a good start and the US ambassador to Germany is off to a bad one
5) We're going on holiday! We'll be back in a few weeks. Please stay subscribed because we won't be gone long and we'll likely be dropping by to say hello!
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A longer version of our conversation with Akbar Ahmed on his book 'Journey into Europe' about Islam's role in the continent.
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In Europe our clocks may be slow (see our March 13 episode) but our politics moves fast. Two new governments in a week! Katy and Dominic get you up to speed on what's been happening in Spain and Italy.
Our guest this week is Akbar Ahmed, one of the world's leading experts on Islam, who has just published a major new study on Europe's Muslims. We enjoyed our conversation so much that we'll be releasing it in full as a bonus episode, so look out for that later in the week.
Plus: how Spain's trashiest 1990s dance hit could save your life.
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What a week. There’s been wonderful news from Ireland and so much drama in Italy that we actually had to re-record part of this week’s show at the last minute. Speaking of Italian thrillers: we’ve been chatting to Giuseppe Porcaro, author of brand-new sci-fi novel DISCO SOUR (https://amzn.to/2IVCi7s), about why he decided to set it in a parallel European universe. And Katy’s been talking to Sweden-based Florian Tirnovan about his great project organizing a talent show for deaf people from all around the continent.
Plus: a thunderstorm, a requisitioned towel, and an unlikely friendship in the most beautiful (?) corner of Europe.
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This week we're going back to the 1970s to look at two great mysteries: an unsolved murder in Norway, and Britain's ever-enigmatic relationship with Europe.
Norwegian investigative journalist Marit Higraff joins us to talk about Death In Ice Valley, the true crime podcast from the BBC and NRK hoping to uncover the truth behind a woman's death half a century ago.
Also delving into the past is British comedian Kieran Hodgson, whose new show looks for laughs in the unlikeliest of places: the story of how Britain ended up joining the EU.
Plus: Cold comfort for the Balkans, Amsterdam's war on 'mono-culture', and the secret to living a very, VERY long life. Oh, and the tiniest mention of a certain wedding.
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A big warm European welcome to the many new listeners who've joined us over the last few weeks! Here's a little bonus episode in which Dominic and Katy introduce themselves and suggest a few favourite episodes you may want to check out.
Our guests are amazing people from all around Europe: chefs, designers, athletes, scientists... Here are the highlights mentioned in this show:
May 7: Making a living from gambling on Eurovision
March 27: A Michelin-starred chef on pizza and national identity
March 20: Vogue's international editor on euro-fashion
Feb 6: The philosophy behind IKEA
Feb 20: Juggling a hairdressing career with Olympic curling
Jan 16: The trouble with translating Donald Trump
Jan 30: A beginner's guide to Viennese waltzing
Dec 19: The lack of diversity in EU institutions
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First up, hello new listeners! We’ll be dropping a bonus ep shortly to explain what this is all about, but this week’s main show is a great place to start. We’re a journalist in Paris and an opera singer in Amsterdam. Welcome! It’s been week of highs and lows for Europe and The Europeans. Katy came back from Germany with empty pockets but a full heart (and a selfie). It’s been a bad week for euro diplomacy, but a great one for trashy pop. Someone who’s seen more than her fair share of highs and lows is our guest Farah Abdi, a transgender Somali refugee who arrived in Malta by boat in 2012. She tells Katy about her journey and her fight for better rights for LGBT refugees in Europe. And songwriter MaJiKer, who’s penned songs for Eurovision hopefuls, is on hand to explain why Israel snatched victory and Sweden got robbed. Thanks for listening! Leave us a review here: https://apple.co/2Ez2KN8
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Katy gets all mushy about Europe as we talk to a very clever man who makes his living by speculating on Eurovision. Daniel Gould (Mr Gould to Dominic), is the founder of www.Sofabet.com and gives us all the latest from Lisbon.
We then head over to Spain to speak to the activist and writer, Brigitte Vasallo about Spain's #MeToo movement and the public reaction to the shocking court ruling in a rape case in Pamplona.
Plus, we have meatballs, terrorists, Harry Potter Royalty and a healthy serving of cultural appropriation.
Meanwhile, Katy is heading over to Aachen to find out if we've won Eurovision for Euro-geeks, aka the EU's Charlemagne Prize for Youth. Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help stop the flow of tears when we probably/definitely don't win: apple.co/2HPcgkK
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We couldn't have two more different interviews for you this week: we're talking anti-Semitism in Germany and the art of remaining zen on a beach in Scotland.
After two German rappers sparked national outrage with lyrics about the Holocaust, Human Rights Watch Germany's chief Wenzel Michalski is on the line to talk about his all too personal experience of Europe's rising anti-Semitism problem.
Why throw stones when you can turn them into art instead? Scottish photographer Andy Buchanan brings us the weird, wonderful and unexpectedly hilarious story of the European Stone Stacking Championships. His beautiful photos in the Guardian: https://bit.ly/2KkCY3b
Plus, Macron Does America and Bulgaria Does It Wrong (https://bit.ly/2qMCTgH). And why not stick around and Take A Chance On Dominic's happy ending this week?
Thanks for listening, Europe!
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A treasure-themed episode for you this week: the natural treasures of Poland's ancient Białowieża forest, hidden treasures in rural France, and buried treasure on a German island.
Dominic's been chatting to Agata Szafraniuk of environmental lawyers ClientEarth about their battle with the Polish government to protect Białowieża, one of the few remaining patches of the primeval forest that covered Europe 10,000 years ago.
Also heading into the countryside are Parisian podcaster Oliver Gee of The Earful Tower fame and his fiancee Lina Nordin, on a quest to discover the real France through a heart-shaped (awwwwww) tour of the country.
Plus: Strict Belgian gyms, 10th century bling and a bitcoin heist.
We're being listed by Apple as a 'new and noteworthy' podcast for the next few weeks, woohoo! Help us make the most of it by leaving us a rating and/or review here: https://apple.co/2HPcgkK
Thanks so much for listening!

Gather round, children, it's story time. This week in The Europeans, the dark tale of how Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán became one of the most powerful men in Europe, to the great disquiet of his western neighbours. Zselyke Csaky, expert on all things Central European, is on the line to explain why campaigning against immigrants, Muslims and billionaire George Soros has paid off so well for this worryingly autocratic leader.
To cheer you up, Mick ter Reehorst of storytelling project Are We Europe has a happier tale to tell. He cracks open a couple of beers with Dominic as he sets out his mission to Make Europe Sexy Again with a beautifully-designed website and and magazine. Plus: murders, pizzas, and musical road surfaces.
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Bonjour Europe, we're all joining Katy in Paris this week to talk about some of the less rosy aspects of la belle France. Our guest this week is the French writer and film-maker Rokhaya Diallo, who has all too often found herself on the receiving end of troubling attitudes towards race in the country she calls home. And with train drivers unleashing three months of rail strikes and students barricading faculty buildings, is Emmanuel Macron heading for a summer of discontent? Plus: Dutch sugar highs, problematic theatre, Swedish beats and buried treasure.
Join us on the internet where we post fun and interesting things from around Europe!
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Thanks Europe, we love you very much.

"Ever wonder where plastic ends up? I have a story I'd like to share." This week on The Europeans, the Irish journalist Naomi O'Leary describes what happened when she visited a remote paradise island in the Caribbean, only to find the entire Western world had got there first: plastic, plastic and yet more plastic. We talk about what Naomi found and what Europe can do to stop it. And we quizzed her about her podcast The Irish Passport too! In Zagreb, Daniel Martinović is on the line to discuss the success of Dugine Obitelji (Rainbow Families), Croatia's first children's picture book showing kids with LGBT parents. Plus: the Netherlands keeps its gas underground; a London embassy keeps Julian Assange off the net; and a tale of redemption for an amateur sculptor in Madeira.
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First up, fantastic news: The Europeans Podcast has been nominated for a prize! Hit play to find out all about it, we are over the moon.
What a delicious episode we have for you this week. Michelin-starred chef Christian Puglisi is on the line from Copenhagen to talk about how his heritage has helped him shape cuisine that defies the rules. Born to a Norwegian mother and a Sicilian father, Christian's ideas about where he comes from have changed with time, as have his ideas about food. We hear all about how his hit restaurant Baest has blurred the lines of what makes an 'authentic' pizza by going for freshness first — to the point of making Danish mozzarella — and his ongoing battle to make his restaurants as green as possible. Plus: how the French learned to love burgers; how the world learned to hate Cambridge Analytica; and a German footballer with a huge heart (and lucky blood).
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Katy makes no secret of the fact that she records this podcast in her pyjamas, but she may need to up her game after this week's interview with Vogue's legendary international editor, Suzy Menkes, about the European fashion scene and the death of iconic French designer Hubert de Givenchy. In other news, Dominic comes clean about his traumatic experience as a 12-year-old child star in Siberia and gets mixed up (like everyone else this week) between Slovenia and Slovakia. Plus: happy Finns, clowns, and a PR coup for some beer-brewing Belgian monks. Thanks for listening! If one weekly Europe fix isn't enough, check out our Facebook page where we post all kinds of interesting links from around the continent: https://www.facebook.com/europeanspodcast/ See you next week when we'll have our first-ever Michelin-starred chef on the show! Twitter: @EuropeansPod Instagram: @europeanspodcast 🇪🇺 europeanspodcast.com 🇪🇺

This week we're imagining a better future for baby Europeans and also what might happen after the nuclear apocalypse. Jennifer Pettersson is Swedish radio maker who's been based in Amsterdam for the last 20 years. She's always loved living in the city — until it came to putting her kids in school there. Dutch kids are famously supposed to be the happiest in the world, but is it really true?
Since we're planning for the future we might as look all the way ahead to Doomsday. Katy's been chatting to Asmund Asdal, the coordinator of Norway's Global Seed Vault, which keeps back-ups of the world's grains and seeds for use in case of disaster.
Also: good news for young Europeans with wanderlust, bad news for clocks, and some mile-high poetry.
Thanks for listening! If you've got a few minutes to spare, we'd love it if you could help us spread the word by leaving us a review on iTunes: https://apple.co/2FtsBva
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Hello Europe! Your favourite continental podcast is back with everything from salted snails to middle-fingered salutes on the menu. Dominic's been walking on thin ice and Katy's been cocooning; there's good news for Angela Merkel and bad news for press freedom in Slovakia. Eckard Helmers is on the line from Germany to explain why Europe fell in love with diesel cars even though they're poisoning our air. And we're talking English — literally — with Marko Modiano, a linguistics expert in Gävle, Sweden, about how the language is taking on a life of its own in Europe.
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Our first ever bonus episode! We enjoyed our conversation in this week's show with Alexandra Pascalidou so much that we're sharing the whole thing with you. Raised by Greek parents in a working-class Stockholm suburb, Alexandra went on to become a prominent journalist in Sweden. But along with the job came the threats: years and years of horrific threats from neo-Nazis who didn't like the way she stood up for multi-culturalism.
Last year, something unexpected happened: a former neo-Nazi got in touch to confess he had tormented her for years, and to say he was sorry. And Alexandra did something even more unexpected: she decided to meet up with her former tormentor for coffee.
Katy and Dominic rang Alexandra in Stockholm to discuss her remarkable decision to forgive Martin, and why Sweden needs to take its neo-Nazi threat much more seriously. But along the way they also talk about national identity, the Eurovision song contest, and what it means to be European.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Not Alexandra Pascalidou. The Greek-Swedish journalist did something that would scare many of us: after years of threats from neo-Nazis, she invited one of them for a cup of coffee. Alexandra gives us a masterclass in forgiveness — and stay tuned later in the week for a bonus episode featuring her full conversation with The Europeans.
But first, actual wolves. After Belgium saw its first in a century, we're taking a look at how different countries across the continent are dealing with 20,000 of the proud predators — and our guest Max Rossberg of the European Wilderness Society argues we need a total rethink.
Plus: the monster of Brussels, a monstrous week for Britain's Jeremy Corbyn, and some less monstrous news to cheer us up at the end.
Thanks for listening, and don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoyed the show!
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We've got two birthdays to celebrate this week. Independent Kosovo is officially 10, and your host Dominic Kraemer is officially old. Congrats to both!
As Kosovo marks 10 years since declaring independence from Serbia, we give our man in the Balkans Andrew MacDowall a call to explain the challenges that lie ahead for Europe's youngest country. Meanwhile, Katy's been huddling under a duvet in Paris with a cold this week -- a great excuse to obsess over the Winter Olympics, not least that amazing Scottish invention, curling. Team Finland's Oona Kauste is on the line all the way from South Korea with a staunch defence of the sport against allegations that it 'looks weird', and how she manages to juggle the Olympics with her career as a hairdresser and make-up artist.
Plus: out and proud LGBT Olympians, happy news for German commuters, and political truth, Dutch-style. Oh, and a mysterious Finnish tongue-twister. Anyone that solves the mystery gets a gold medal of their very own.
We're

Hello from Paris and Amsterdam! Since we’ve seen a huge rise in listeners this week (welcome!) we’re in a giving mood, so we’re talking about organ donation. As countries across Europe weigh up how to save the most lives, transplant ethicist Greg Moorlock is on the line from Birmingham, England to discuss why Spain sees so many more donations than Germany and whether or not the Netherlands should make giving up our kidneys an ‘opt-out’ affair. And Ania Jakubek in Warsaw is back to explain what’s going on with Poland’s new Holocaust law. Plus: a good (ish) week for Angela Merkel, and a bad one for French fashion designer Christian Louboutin and his famous red-soled shoes.
Thanks so much for the lovely reviews you’ve been writing — it’s not too late to add another to help people find the podcast across Europe and beyond! https://t.co/2qmA739cYh
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This week on The Europeans, two interviews about building things from scratch. We speak to in-house IKEA designer Sarah Fager in Älmhult, Sweden, about the philosophy that drove the company’s late founder Ingvar Kamprad to take over the world with his flatpack furniture. And in Milan, Andrea Venzon is on the line to give us the lowdown on the new pan-European political movement he’s just set up, Volt. Plus: gassed monkeys, dabblings in erotica by Jean-Claude Juncker, and a whole lot of oranges.
Dominic and Katy are delighted that The Europeans has been listed by the British Podcast Awards in their Podwatch newsletter as one of the top five podcasts that will change your perspective! Join the 40,000 people signed up to their email updates here.
In the meantime, a special thanks for helping to spread the word about the podcast. We'd love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes so we can get it plugged into every ear in Europe: https://t.co/M6OuFyn7kk. For more info, v

A war between France and the Netherlands over fish (trawling), a beginner’s guide to waltzing in Vienna (balling), and a tragic ski accident (falling).
The Europeans comes to you from Amsterdam and Paris as always, but Katy and Dominic have both been in Austria this week and are taking a little inspiration from their (mis)adventures to delve into the traditions of the Viennese ball season. We’ve got devoted local fan Matthias Brandstetter on the line to run us through the do’s and dont’s of taking your first spin on the Viennese dance floor.
But first, to the sea! We speak to Pavel Klinckhamers from Greenpeace Netherlands about the controversial fishing technique that may have landed the hake on your plate and has French fishermen furious with their Dutch competitors.
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Fake snus
The Europeans let loose discussing snus and fake news. German journalist Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck tells us all about her plans to teach school kids across Europe how to spot propaganda and media bias on the internet with her new project Lie Detectors. And we delve into the world of Scandinavian snus tobacco, illegal in most of the EU. For the first time, it’s more popular in Norway than cigarettes. But why? We find out from Kris Johansson in Oslo, and the author Christopher Snowdon is on hand to explain why this stuff is still banned around Europe despite growing evidence that it helps people quit smoking. Plus: news from Davos with the tiniest mention of T***p, and a weaponized sausage for dessert.
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Your favourite plucky Parisian reporter and glamorous Amsterdam opera singer are BACK. Episode 6 is about two people with bouffant hair but little else in common: Donald Trump and Catherine Deneuve. We’ve got a great interview with the voice of Trump on German television, Franz Kubaczyk, and his fellow interpreter Leonie Wagener about the perils of translating the most unpredictable president in US history. And the French writer Agnès Poirier is on the line to discuss Deneuve’s controversial letter criticizing the #MeToo movement and what may have been lost in translation. Plus: fantastic plastic news and an unwelcome flashback from early-2000s pop.
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Happy New Year, The Europeans are back! We’re kicking off 2018 by brushing up on our Luxembourgish, giving Nina Lamparski a call to find out why a language officially listed as endangered is making an unexpected comeback. And Georgi Gotev is on the line to talk about what we can expect from Bulgaria as the EU’s poorest country takes the helm as president for the next six months. We ask why a baby born in Bulgaria has a much lower life expectancy than one born in Spain; and there’s a feminist, vodka-flavoured happy ending for you. What more could you want from your favourite European podcast?
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For the last episode of The Europeans before a little break to indulge in some festive merry-making, we talk to influential man about Brussels Ryan Heath of Politico about why the corridors of EU power are so goddamn white. Phosphate-laden euro kebabs and novelty avocados are also on the menu for our millennial listeners. And we give Dutch trans activist Jonah Lamers a ring to ask why the Netherlands picked ‘gender neutral’ as the most irritating word of 2017.
We’ve had a blast making our first four episodes and can’t wait to see you next year! Thanks for all your support. Please help us spread the word https://twitter.com/EuropeansPod or by leaving us a review on iTunes at https://t.co/M6OuFyn7kk. For more info, visit https://europeanspodcast.com

This week in The Europeans, we're looking at national icons -- the
beloved, in the form of French rock star Johnny Hallyday who died this week -- and the controversial, in the form of the Netherlands' Black Pete. Dominic talks to Anousha Nzume from Dipsaus, the hit podcast for
Dutch women of colour, about why the Netherlands insists on making
blackface a festive affair at this time of year. And Katy makes a
valiant attempt to explain why Hallyday wasn't remotely famous outside France despite being a legend at home. Plus Ania Jakubek is back with news of a new Polish prime minister, with Dominic's Happy Ending bringing up the rear... Literally. Please rate and review us on iTunes so others can find the podcast! And hit us up: https://twitter.com/EuropeansPod | https://europeanspodcast.com

Episode 2 of The Europeans, in which Dominic stays in a German haunted house. It’s been a dramatic week on the continent, with a convicted war criminal committing suicide in the middle of a courtroom in The Hague. Elsewhere, we talk to journalist Claire Sergent about whether French could really one day be the world’s most widely spoken language, and to European gay travel supremos A Couple Of Men about their hugely successful blog. This podcast contains no traces of Brexit at all, it’s a near-Christmas miracle! Please leave us a review if you enjoyed The Europeans, and help us to spread the word. https://europeanspodcast.com | https://twitter.com/EuropeansPod

Iiiiiiit’s the first ever episode of The Europeans! In which Katy smells the money wafting off European agencies and Dominic gets chased by angry French nudists. Elsewhere, we chat to journalist Frank Zeller in Berlin about Germany’s very un-German lack of a government, and Ania Jakubek in Warsaw about Frida Kahlo’s ties to Poland.

The Europeans is a moderately amusing podcast hosted by Katy Lee, a reporter in Paris, and Dominic Kraemer, an opera singer in Amsterdam. Every week we call each other up to chat about what’s been happening around the continent, and we call up friends and interesting people to see what’s been going on where they are. If you’re looking for a podcast about Europe in English that isn’t waaay serious or just about Brexit, you’ve come to the right place. Out on Tuesdays!